i just bout some used pace setter headers and i just wanted to ask out of this bolts which are the best and should i use treat lock is which treat lock blue or red and what gaskets ? http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/195/...olts-Studs.htm

 

ARP bolts, stock gaskets and threadlocker red should be just fine.

 

I like Earl's Pressure master best header gasket I have ever used.
Basic 12 point bolts no need for thread locker.
Header bolts do not loosen spontaneously, what happens is the gasket compresses and the bolts lose tension that way then begin to back out from vibration.

The Earl's have a metal frame around graphite seals. The seals are compressed till the metal frame contacts the head and header for all metal contact, check the bolts once after a day or two of driving and you might find a slight bit of room to tighten. From then on mine stayed perfectly tight.

 

Here's what I would buy:

http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...vid=4&pcid=301

No need for thread locker - as stated above. The copper gaskets that come with those headers are good but here are some top shelf replacements:

http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...4&sid=223#P945

 

I am the guy that has had hell with bolts, and say lockem with the blue paste stick from loctite. Why not? It will not do anything but help you.

Oh and for christ stage 8's been there and done that, and they are not that great, especially for the money. Enjoy getting them off and on depending on your headers.

1 inch bolts with loctite all the way and a quality gasket. I have had bad luck with aluminum crush seal gaskets, but cannot speak for the copper.

I am using mr gaskets dark gray square port gaskets at the moment.
(make sure whatever you use is a drop in style gasket)

 

The problem with fiber or graphite header gaskets is that when the bolts loosen up, the gaskets blow out.

I'm using the SCE copper gaskets, 4611. 30 bucks at Summit:

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

Even IF my bolts loosen up, the copper gaskets won't blow out. Just re-tighten the bolts.

I was going to use the ARP 1 inch bolts with 12 point heads (1212) but it's out of stock at Summit for 27 bucks. Jegs has them but for a whopping 40 bucks.

I stumbled upon the Specter Performance fastener rack at Pep Boys. (It pays to wander around in Pep Boys or Auto Zone for an hour just looking at things. Plus, it drives the girlfriend krazy, kinda payback when they drag us out shopping.) They have an intake bolt set, 3/8 X 1 inch with 12 point heads and small diameter washers for 10 bucks. Their part number 46523. Gold anodized, they actually look pretty good.

http://www.spectreperformance.com/

Now, I'm not one to bitch about a few dollars one way or another but these bolts aren't mission critical and won't be run up to very many foot pounds. I'm certain that they're more than adequate for this application. What the hell, they even throw in a 12 point wrench.

Squirt a bit of blue Loctite on the threads and your bolt loosening problems should be just a bad memory.

 

Thread locker doesn't work in areas of high heat, so it will do absolutly nothing for you on header bolts. I'm running percys dead soft aluminum with breslin bolts here.

 

Percy's dead soft gaskets + Stage 8 1" locking bolts
no worries, no re-tightening and no goo in your threads to screw up your heads.

 

i hear high temp rtv works great for the gasket....kinfa weird and ive never tried it but im told it works.

 

Not quite. I am running a set of Earl's pressure master gaskets and have been leak free since day 1 even with the driver's side rear header missing 1 bolt (1 from the last- broke off and couldnt get it out). If you remember to retighten your header bolts from day 1 of install you shouldnt have a problem with almost any gasket blowing out. That being said a 1" ARP stainless bolt is all you usually need if you can remember to retighten the bolts everyday.

Loctite only works if you don't need to retorque them. The second you touch them with a wrench after the loctite sets, you just break the bond the loctite made

 

just bought seal 4 good flange gaskets, seal 4 good header gaskets, and those header bolts with the safety wire

no more exhaust leaks for me woohoo

 

Stage 8's and Mr.Gaskets Ultra-Seals. both are great

 

this 1ns look good what do yall think but wich 1ns the 1st 1ns or the second prt # 4667 or prt #4668

http://www.spectreperformance.com/#CATALOG.4668


check in the performance fastiners section

 

I have Percys Aluminum gaskets and Stage 8 bolts, work really great, but like said above the Stage 8 are a pain to get on the first time, you really have to work on them to get a really good fit, I had to grind down each and every locking flange, but now its super tight and no leaks, getting them off isnt so bad, and putting them back in after the initial install is tough but nothing impossible

 

Really? I've done three cars with no issues.
Maybe you had thicker primaries than I did.

 

I have FLP long tubes, they were a pain initially

 

My problem is the hex shaped keeper on the stage 8's would eventually lose its shape essentially making the lock useless. (they make them with aluminum which is softer so they wont vibrate a hole in your primaries.) This makes these bolts suck IMO.

 

I couldnt ever get the crush gaskets to seal well, whats the secret?

You dont want to put to much torque on an aluminum heads, so these really scared me.

 

I have had a few layers of my aluminum gasket get eaten up by exhaust before BTW. I think they are stronger than the graphite, but not completely bulletproof like they are advertised. I think I will try the copper ones on my 383 build.

 

Buffman made the point I was going too about how even if the heat did not mess up thread locker the fact you should be retightening header bolts for the first few days would ruin the thread locker.
Pay atention to those who can reason through issues like this and you know who has their head on straight and who has theirs, well somewhere else .

I tried the Percy's dead soft collector gaskets. I will take a picture(camera is charging) so you can see how badly they deformed, did eventually get them to mostly seal with some copper silicon .